


masterpiece

by Amusical



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Acting, Adventuring, Alternate Universe - Dungeons & Dragons, Autistic Coffee, Elven Cleric, Fantastic Racism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Magic, Mercenary For Hire, Monsters are monsters, Selective Mute Coffee, Shady Pasts, Undead Mutt, Unreliable Narrator, high fantasy setting, theatrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 19:30:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15154061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amusical/pseuds/Amusical
Summary: Papyrus has made a mistake.He turned a blind eye whenever Sans would befriend outsiders, but now he knows this was a mistake. His brother dead, Papyrus plans to avenge his foolish brother, and regain his honor.(Not because he cared.Not because it's too little too late.Not because Papyrus will never forgive himself when he could've stopped all of this from happening.He should've killed you when he had the chance.)





	masterpiece

Incensed, Papyrus trudged through the forest, scouring the outskirts of the tribe’s territory for his errant brother. When he finds Sans there will be trouble, and his brother will rue the day he decided to ignore Papyrus’ summons. Just because Papyrus tended to turn a blind eye regarding some of his brother’s boondoggling doesn’t mean Sans should keep up his ridiculous hobby of befriending outsiders.

 

Frowning heavily, Papyrus neared the clearing Sans kept his illegal food stand and gets ready to yell loud enough to blow out both of Sans’ eardrums. Papyrus swears if he missed important Royal Guard business, because Sans was sleeping outside again--

 

Taking in the shattered sight of the abandoned food stand, Papyrus’ eye-lights guttered out. Reminding himself that the area being a complete disaster zone did not mean anything conclusive, Papyrus set out to investigate what happened here. Behind the remains of the wooden stand, there’s no dust, only a pair of abandoned red shoes. Which doesn’t mean anything, Sans the lazy sloth, takes off his shoes many a time before.

 

Plenty of times Papyrus had set himself up in a tizzy over his missing brother only to find him hours later, hidden in strange and unusual places. Soon enough Papyrus will track Sans down, finding him leaking dust and scuffed from a tussle, but otherwise fine. Adept at the art of dodging and evading detection, Sans had been surviving for nearly ten years before Papyrus had even entered the world. 

 

There were plenty of physical clues for Papyrus to track, broken twigs and the destruction of tree bark; the obvious signs of a fight going right through here. The fact that Sans hadn’t arrived back to report in didn’t mean he was dead. Papyrus wouldn’t even entertain the thought until he saw Sans’ dust. 

 

Hearing strange voices, Papyrus quickly ducks out of sight, behind a conveniently shaped tree. Mind so occupied, Papyrus does not detect the figure hidden above him, silent. The movement caught the attention of a foreign Monster sitting in the trees, legs hanging off the branch. Metal encased teeth, the shadowy figure nonchalantly chews on the end of a hoodie drawstring even as they turn their head to follow.

 

Out of direct line of sight, Papyrus spies someone wearing San’s favorite jacket, and it’s not his brother. The elven woman is practically swimming in the excessive fabric, and it takes only a moment for Papyrus to recognize the stranger. It’s that silver haired and strangely dressed elf masquerading as his brother’s friend, held between a forefinger and thumb glints something gold. Startling him, Papyrus realizes that she’s holding Sans golden tooth up to the sun, admiring it. 

 

Turning to her left, the elf speaks to someone out of sight, “How much do you think this’ll fetch us?” Indistinct, Papyrus hears someone answer, speaking softly. Sounding mildly surprised, the elf inanimately talks back to her unseen companion, “Really?” Clasping her hands behind her, the elf spins playfully on a heel, and goes, “I think I’m going to keep this comfy jacket though.” 

 

Her smile makes Papyrus itch with a slow burning fury, but he holds himself back. The woman could have nothing to do with Sans being missing, and if Papyrus were to hurt her, he’d hear no end to his brother’s complaining. Still her dubious friendship with his brother isn’t about to stop him, Papyrus is just about to stomp over there, and question the elven woman with extreme prejudice. Except the words that come out of her mouth next, stops Papyrus dead in his tracks.

 

Unconcerned, his brother’s supposed elven friend speaks as if she were discussing the weather or some such mundane topic. “I still can’t believe that Monsters turn to dust when they die. It’s so strange.” Shifting carefully, Papyrus moves to catch a glimpse; the elf’s previously concealed companion is an undead, who adds, “yeah. that was a surprise. and weird.” Normally Papyrus would be more concerned of her hiding the fact that she was a necromancer, if his brother wasn’t already missing and she was the most likely suspect.  

 

Pulling his attention back to her, the female elf starts to converse again, “Too bad about Sans though.” Which is all Papyrus needs, has heard enough of. Before the other can even have a chance to reply, Papyrus is charging, vengeance in mind, and serious bodily harm. Instead of the delicious satisfaction that comes with doing a violence, however, Papyrus is met with the infuriating feeling of being thwarted. 

 

Without realizing somebody has gotten the jump on him, quite literally might he add, a weight falling from the sky to send him crashing to the ground. Disrupted, Papyrus’ half formed skeletal swords he had intended to skewer the elf and her associate through with, dissolves into paltry red lights. Unable to move, Papyrus can only glare up at the target of his spying as they had turned to see what the commotion was. 

 

* * *

 

Forewarned by Coffee’s Message, and completely kept up to date by the Monster stalking the much more armored Monster, Piece had simply ignored the irate Monster and continued talking with Mutt. It wasn’t much of a surprise that Papyrus would try attacking them, what with their topic of conversation being what it was, but that was what Piece had wanted in the first place. She wanted him angry, and baying for her blood.

 

Impassively, she stares down at the Skeleton laying prone beneath the much slimmer Coffee. All she needed to do now was intimidate the brother, and make sure he doesn’t follow the party in a vain attempt at revenge, or to regain his honor or some such nonsense. Which was a tad difficult when Piece was a ‘lone’ cleric, but now? Necromancers on their own were not much muscle either, but still she smiles. Much like a cat that caught the canary, Piece smirks at Papyrus, allowing her eyes to glow in the lowlight of the forest.    
  


When he doesn’t flinch or otherwise react, Piece glances up to briefly touch Coffee’s with her eyes, noting that his black book was out and in his hands. Knowing him, Coffee was most likely doodling what had just transpired in his book, or otherwisely keeping himself distracted. Still his enchanted black hoodie had the words WATCH MAN emblazoned on the front, alert. In a way, he was more of a guard dog than Mutt was, since Mutt wasn’t much for babysitting. 

 

At her side, without looking and going by sound alone, Mutt lights a death stick and takes one slow drag. She knew from experience that Mutt was most likely standing back, and looking down his nose at Papyrus. After the first suck, Mutt doesn’t continue enjoying the cigarette, merely holds it in one hand. 

 

Feet flat on the ground, knees completely bent, Piece stared straight into Papyrus’ red eye-lights. “Hello, Papyrus. How are you doing today? Feeling any different? Still not in the mood to be my friend?” At the last word, specially, finally there’s a reaction coming from the prone Skeleton, visibly flinching. Papyrus is probably remembering all of the times she’s said this same exact thing to him before, in all the times, he’s happened to be passing by when she was with Sans.

 

Haunted, and paler even than bone; Papyrus must have been feeling guilty. Sans might not have believed his brother cared for him, but you could always tell how much care the two of them held for each other. If they hadn’t been born in the tribe they had been born in, they might have communicated this better. But alas you had to interfere.

 

Liable to do almost anything for gold, supposedly somebody had wanted Sans dead. So here you were now, trying to prevent Papyrus from following you to the ends of the earth. Too bad too, you were sure Papyrus had been close to calling you a friend. Oh, well, you just had to make do with making sure Papyrus stayed a good boy, and lived out his life serving his tribe as a Royal Guard.    

 

Tapping her lips with a finger, feigning thought, Piece goes, “It’s just too bad about Sans.” Here, she makes eye contact with Papyrus, satisfied when he flinches noticeably. Maybe Papyrus mind was playing tricks with him? Her grin twists, and she knows she’s making an ugly face, but she needs it. “Too bad that he turned to dust, that is. If he were anything else I might have cast a little spell, and raised him from the dead. He’d been such a cute friend.” 

 

Flipping hair over a shoulder, she adds, “Always sweating, but ultimately a sweet boy. A friendly face in an unfriendly world.” She smiled sweetly as if Papyrus still didn’t know she’d killed his brother. “Tripping over his own two feet just to get a laugh outta me.” 

 

Straining uselessly against the magic keeping his soul in place, Papyrus was too busy raging to realize that whoever was on his back used Monster magic. Unable to keep quiet any longer, Papyrus nearly nicked her fingers with his fangs as his teeth nashed, “HE WASN’T YOUR FRIEND!! DON’T TALK LIKE YOU KNEW HIM, YOU BITCH!!” 

 

At this, the scritch scratch of pencil on paper pauses for a moment, two, before continuing its previous pace; Coffee not even having looked away from the pages of his book. The undead skeleton at Piece’s side is the one that takes offence, or at least pretends to. Taking his time, Mutt saunters over, and kneels before Papyrus, and drawls, “hey. i don’t think you know your situation here, buddy. you should listen to what Piece has to say, maybe you’ll live if you do.” All purpose, Mutt takes a slow drag of his still lit cigarette, and blows the smoke out into Papyrus face. The asshole.  

 

Annoyingly sleepy expression on his face, Mutt unnecessarily adds, “also i’m the only one allowed to call Piece a bitch.” Excruciatingly sluggish, Mutt reaches over Papyrus with his hand holding the red cherry of the cigarette, and Papyrus is ashamed to admit that he flinched, thinking the undead skeleton had meant to use him as a means to put it out. Instead, he had used the wet dirt directly underneath Papyrus’ mandible to put the cigarette out. 

 

Now leaning close enough for Papyrus to read the tag on his neck, the aptly named Mutt scoffs at him, earning his hatred. If looks could kill, Papyrus would’ve already turned the two in front of him into dust despite neither of them being Monsters.

 

Without missing a beat, Coffee draws an unflattering picture of Mutt with an arrow pointing to him, calling him a butt. Otherwise, he lets the other two do the talking, he’s here to sit heavy, and look pretty.  

 

Turning and moving to face Piece, Mutt suggests, “i think it’s bedtime for the princess.” Unable to see Piece, Papyrus can only strain his ears to hear what she answers with. The sound muffled, she makes a sound of agreement before walking around Mutt to gaze directly at Papyrus, giving him a look so cold he’s never seen in her eyes. Despite being surrounded by skeletons, the embodiment of death, Piece could have been a soul searing apparition herself.

 

Smiling genially, as if she really were giving him a simple word of goodbye, Piece goes, “How about the next time we’re in the area, I pay you a visit. Sound good, Papyrus?” Immediately, Papyrus’ mind goes to the Monsters of his tribe, the ones he’s close to, even the ones he’s not; everyone under his protection is at risk. She might not have been able to masacre a majority of his tribe, but Piece could and would lure the lonely and vulnerable out from the safety of their city. She couldn’t be let to li--

 

* * *

 

After whacking Papyrus over the head, Coffee craws off the other Monster’s back, and ends up nestled between the roots of a nearby tree. The drawstring of his hoodie hangs from his mouth forgotten, a broken music box out and in his hands to be tinkered with. His attention was partially split between what’s in his hands, and the scene unfolding in front of him.

 

Staying back and apart, Mutt is observes Coffee fiddling with a toolkit, trying to figure out what works. But Mutt glances over to the insensate Skeleton Monster lying flat out when Piece moves over to him. 

Rolling him over onto his back, Piece notes that Papyrus looks like he’s merely sleeping, not rendered unconscious. All the sharp angles have softened, now replaced with soft features. Hovering over him, poking his cheek a bit, Piece asks, “Do you think he’ll be alright?” 

Shrugging his shoulders, and then throws his left hand around a bit, Mutt goes, “Don’t think anybody’s going to bother him here if that’s what you’re asking.” From his spot under a tree, Coffee nods before holding up his black book. ‘It is getting dark out.’ Facing the book back towards him, Coffee adds more. ‘And people looking to make camp aren’t going to wander this deep into the forest.’ 

 

Placing his right hand in his pocket, Mutt goes, “i agree with coffee here. mr. all sharp edges isn’t gonna come ta any harm. it’s the middle of the forest, there’s no one to hurt him.” Mutt watched as Piece took a seat on the forest floor, facing him, but her back to Coffee, an invitation for the other to play with her hair if he wanted to. For as long as Mutt has known him, Coffee has always had a minor fascination with hair.

 

“Mm.” Resting your arms on the top of your knees, Piece didn’t feel like elaborating her thoughts on the matter. Letting her head fall onto her shoulder, Piece rubbed her face on the soothing fabric of her shawl. Eyes closed, she heard a shuffling sound behind her as Coffee sat down and got comfortable. The feel of his hands on her hair, undoing the braids, was always a little weird since he never took off his gloves. But then again, without gloves his hands would still feel weird, since Coffee has skeletal fingers.

 

Moments later, when she hears Coffee back up the way he came, Piece places a hand up to her head, feeling gently at the tresses. Instead of the earlier single braid down her back, Coffee has crafted her hair into a braided crown.

 

When she’d first entered this area, and met Sans, Piece would never have imagined this was going to be the end result. From a leisurely stay in the woods to this disaster. Getting up, she claps her hands, sighs and goes, “Ok, guys. Time to leave. We need to put as much space between us as possible, just in case, the tribe sends someone after us for killing Sans.” Despite Sans not having many friends among his people, he was still Papyrus’ brother, a respected member of the community.  


End file.
